klap, verb

Forms:
Also Englished forms clap, clup.
Origin:
Afrikaans.
1. obsolete. To make a cracking sound.
a. transitive. To crack (a whip).
1880 S.W. Silver & Co.’s Handbk to S. Afr. 227The drivers ‘clap’ their long whips, and the teams, eight pairs of oxen labouring at each wain, move briskly over the way.
b. intransitive. To crack, bang.
1890 F.C. Selous Hunter’s Wanderings 232The bullet clapped loudly, and I saw her stagger, but recovering immediately, she went on.
2. transitive. colloquial. To slap, hit, or strike (someone or something).
1961 T. Matshikiza Choc. for my Wife 83The two white men closed in on me...The one on the left..had frying-pans for hands. He said, ‘If you move I’ll clap you dead with these.’
1979 F. Dike First S. African 39Shut up!...No I won’t...(Claps Rooi very hard) I said, shut up!
1986 F. McLachlan in Burman & Reynolds Growing Up 345There was a lot of fighting in the cells...They make you blow out your cheeks and then klap [slap] them so hard that your mouth bleeds.
1988 B. Hough in Frontline Oct. 24Klapping the volk. Afrikaans theatre consists of a long line of assault on old Afrikaner values.
1990 Frontline Mar.Apr. 17I say: ‘How about black people who want to vote for De Klerk?’ They are shocked, and ponder. One says: ‘They won’t be allowed to.’ The other, the guy who klapped the drunk, ponders longer and finally pronounces: ‘They won’t want to.’
1991 P. Slabolepszy Braait Laaities. 22Blacks are not allowed in our house. Not even for work. One day a maid came to borrow something from next door and he klapped my mother.
1991 Weekly Mail 30 Aug. 11Accused of ‘klapping’ a worker.
1992 M.J. Silva Informant, Grahamstown (now Makhanda, Eastern Cape)This umpire was killed — the guy klapped a cover drive and hit him on the temple.
1992 J. Philips in Style May 10Don’t even think of klapping your kid in Checkers here, you’ll probably be arrested.
1993 M. Ramphele on TV1, 12 Sept. (Agenda)One of the security policemen we didn’t respect took the opportunity of klapping him as soon as he got into detention. He turned round and walloped him right back.
1993 ‘Jimbo’ programme insert, NapacClup. To slap someone.
To crack (a whip).
To crack, bang.
To slap, hit, or strike (someone or something).
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